


Chasing Marigolds

by neezwritesexo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Minor Character Death, squint for hunhan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 15:49:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19379851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neezwritesexo/pseuds/neezwritesexo
Summary: What does happiness mean? For Baekhyun, it has always been Chanyeol.





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a tweetfic here:  
> https://twitter.com/neezwritesexo/status/1112019565691584515
> 
> For my baby Ai <3
> 
> Unbeta-ed, please forgive me :) Enjoy!

**Prologue**

“Do you know that every flower holds a special meaning?” Baekhyun tells his handmaiden.

“What do these mean, sire?” she asks, intrigued.

“Daffodils mean unrequited love; gardenias signify a secret love; and marigolds, a sad love. These are my favorites.”

“But those are so sad, your highness.”

Baekhyun was prevented from answering when Chanyeol came strolling through the hall overlooking the gardens with his advisors. As expected, the crown prince didnʼt even look in his direction. _He never does_.

“Well, it just turned out that way,” the prince consort finally replied.

Turning her attention back to flower picking, the servant failed to notice the longing - almost desperate - look he sends towards his husbandʼs retreating figure.

His husband who will never love him back.

*****

 

 

Baekhyun was sixteen when he first met eighteen-year-old Chanyeol. Being a duke’s son came with privileges, and one of them was to be included in the king’s court, and eventually be acquainted with the country’s crown prince.

He had just come back from studying overseas and was poorly versed on his country’s elites. He was normally a social butterfly, but being cooped up in a room full of strangers did not interest him.

He had ventured out of the grand ballroom and his legs had taken him to the palace gardens. He had always been interested in the language of flowers, and the palace grew the most beautiful ones in the kingdom. He was busy admiring them, when he heard a throat clearing from behind him.

“You aren’t supposed to be here. This garden is exclusive to the royal family.”

He turned to look at the stranger to apologise, but was left speechless he saw the man’s profile. Even with just the moon serving as his light source, Baekhyun could tell that he was extremely handsome. Smooth, pale skin came with a chiseled jaw, piercing almond eyes, a perfectly sloped nose and plump pink lips.

Baekhyun still remembered how his throat had run dry in the man’s presence. He exuded such an aura of authority, he had couldn’t help but stutter.

“I… A-ah… I-I’m…”

“I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you a foreigner? Do you even understand what I’m saying?”

“I-I’m sorry,” was all Baekhyun could say before he scampered off to the direction of the ballroom.

His father had immediately spotted him once he was back. Baekhyun was led right to the front where the king and queen were seated precariously on their thrones. He had bowed a perfect ninety-degree angle upon the duke’s introduction and was pleased to see the fond looks he got in return.

“Ah, Baekhyun! How nice to finally meet you.”

“The honor is mine, your majesty.”

“I was going to introduce you to my son. If I can find him…” the king said, looking around the ballroom for the missing crown prince. “Ah, there he is. Chanyeol! Come over here, son.”

Baekhyun’s eyes had widened in surprise. The man from the garden was the crown prince? Will he recognise him?

His question was answered when the crown prince sent a smirk his way after their eyes met. Baekhyun thought he could have passed out right there. What was the punishment for trespassing on royal family property?

“This is Lord Byun’s son, Baekhyun.”

“We’ve already met.”

Baekhyun swore his heart stopped beating.

“He seemed to be interested in flowers, so I took him to the garden.”

That was how he and Chanyeol became friends.

Baekhyun should have known right there and then. It was _inevitable_.

 

 

Baekhyun was seventeen when he realized he was in love with the crown prince.

By this time, the two were inseparable. Baekhyun had become a constant presence in the crown prince’s life. The king and queen had even allowed him to take classes with the prince, which his father considered a big honor for their family. They did almost everything together, and Baekhyun was already harboring a secret crush.

Baekhyun’s birthday was coming up, and the crown prince had found out about it. Chanyeol had spent the last hour trying to convince Baekhyun to allow him to throw a party in his honor. The latter had been telling him no.

“I already told you, I don’t celebrate my birthday. Not since, you know…”

The prince does. It took a lot of persuasion for Baekhyun to tell him his reason, and finally finding out about it saddened Chanyeol. Baekhyun never celebrated his birthday; not since his mother died when he was nine.

_‘What’s there to celebrate? It just seems wrong,’_ he had told the prince. For reasons unknown to him, Chanyeol felt upset about this.

The two were in the royal gardens, tending to the queen’s flowers. Well, _Baekhyun_ was tending the plants – weeding, watering and cultivating the soil, while Chanyeol just watched. It was one of the activities Baekhyun enjoys and the crown prince had especially asked the queen to grant his best friend access to the garden.

“I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want this, Baek. She would have wanted to go on with your life. Live happily.”

“I _am_ happy,” Baekhyun argues. “It don’t need a party for that.”

“Baekhyun, I insist,” the prince says stubbornly.

Baekhyun looks up from where he squats, and fixes Chanyeol with a defiant glare.

“Your _highness_. There really is no need to trouble yourself.”

“But I want to do something for you! You’re turning eighteen. It’s a big deal!”

This makes Baekhyun chuckle. He was used to the prince’s antics and mini-tantrums. All it had to take was for Chanyeol to stomp his feet and he would look like a ten-year-old.

“It’s really not, Chanyeol. Besides, I don’t need you to give me things. It’s already enough for me that I get to call you my friend.”

The prince sighs, annoyed. “Why can’t you just do what you’re told for once?”

Baekhyun stands with his hands on his hips and scowls at the prince. “Awww, is _your highness_ mad because I’m not blindly saying yes to all of his whims and demands?”

Chanyeol narrows his eyes. “You’re an insolent little thing, aren’t you?”

“Why? Are you going to have me punished?”

“Keep annoying me and find out,” the crown prince almost growls.

“Ooooh, I’m so scared!” he replies mockingly.

Baekhyun should have been nervous with the evil glint Chanyeol suddenly had in his eyes. But he wasn’t. Sure, the prince’s pranks were sometimes excessive, and more often than not, he was the recipient of it. But he knew that his best friend would _never_ hurt him. Not intentionally.

The crown price crouched down, and before Baekhyun could figure out what he was doing, he was splattered with mud. It was everywhere - on his face, on his hair, on his shirt.

“Chanyeol!”

“What? You asked for it!” the prince replies, not even bothering to hide his laughter.

“You’re disgusting! This was a nice shirt!”

Chanyeol merely shrugs. “Well, at least now, I’ll know what to get you for your birthday. I’ll give you a whole closet full of those shirts. In different colors.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes in exasperation. “You’re impossible.”

Two weeks later, Baekhyun found out just how _impossible_ the crown prince was.

It was the day before his birthday and Chanyeol had made him come to the palace _really_ early in the morning. As soon as he was off the chauffeured car, the crown prince had dragged him to the stables.

“What are we doing here? I’m not dressed to go riding, Chanyeol,” he complains.

The prince shushes him and continues leading him by the wrist until they reach the last stall.

“Here we are. Happy Birthday!”

“What—“

Words failed Baekhyun when he finally saw what was inside the stall. A magnificent mare stood before him, its coat a gorgeous shade of gold and its mane a bright shade of yellow.

“She’s beautiful,” Baekhyun says, awed.

“She’s yours.”

His head whips to look at the prince, a flabbergasted expression on his face.

“W-What? No… I can’t possibly accept her…”

“You can and you will,” Chanyeol says with finality. Baekhyun was about to retort when the prince spoke again. “I remembered that photo you showed me. The last one you took with your mom? You told me that you really liked her Palomino, but it died of old age while you were studying abroad, so I figured this would be the best present I can give you. Please, Baek. It would make me _really_ happy.”

Baekhyun was surprised that the older remembered this little detail. He had told that anectode to the prince in passing, during one of the lazy conversations they had about their childhood. The younger turned to look at Chanyeol, eyes searching his face.

The prince was looking at him expectantly, eyes begging him to accept his present. Baekhyun suddenly felt his chest constrict and his stomach churn. He felt an inexplicable warmth that brought tears to his eyes. How was he supposed to say no to this?

Baekhyun finally decides and beams. “Thank you, Chanyeol.”

The smile the crown prince replies with was just as dazzling. “You _are_ best friends with the crown prince, Baek. If I can’t do this much for you, what good is that title for?”

Of course, Chanyeol had to ruin the moment. Baekhyun scoffs in mock annoyance.

“My best friend is the best. His ego is twice the size of the palace, but he’s still the best, nevertheless.”

“And you, my lord, do nothing for my precious ego,” Chanyeol tells him, sporting that grin he loved so much.

_Loved._

That’s when Baekhyun knew why his stomach was in knots; why his heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest. He was in love with his best friend.

 

 

Baekhyun’s heart broke for the first time when he was nineteen.

Chanyeol hated being a prince and _despised_ being the crown prince. He didn’t like that everything was planned out for him. There wasn’t a day since Baekhyun knew him that he didn’t grumble to him about it, but his loyalty to the kingdom and his sense of responsibility hindered him from totally rebelling. There was one thing the crown prince loathed the most about being a royal.

“Did you hear?” Baekhyun quipped. He and Chanyeol were out for their weekly riding sessions. This was one of the activities he loved doing with the crown prince. Baekhyun liked how they had some time for themselves, some time alone. Well, not _really_ alone, as a few of Chanyeol’s guards were still following them, but keeping a reasonable distance to give them some privacy.

“Hear what?” Chanyeol asks back.

Baekhyun maintains control of his Palomino while keeping a steady space next to Chanyeol’s thoroughbred.

“Sehun is getting married. He’s being sent to the neighboring country to marry a prince there! I think his name was Lu – something. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Sehun was from one of the other prominent families of their country and a common friend of theirs. The crown prince’s reaction, however, was not what Baekhyun expected. He scoffs, obviously displeased.

“I’m never going to agree to an arranged marriage,” Chanyeol told Baekhyun with a determined expression.

“Do you think you’ll have a choice, though? If the king and queen were to say—“

“They already have control on most of my life - how I dress, what I should eat, what I should study. Aside from our outings, all of my activities everyday are all planned out by them. If I can’t have any freedom on anything else, don’t you think I at least deserve to choose the person I should love?”

Baekhyun had agreed with him, but they both knew it was pointless. Chanyeol had a duty to his kingdom, and when the time comes, he will not have a choice but to fulfill it.

The shocking news came on Chanyeol’s twenty-first birthday. They both should have seen it coming. The private lessons with Chanyeol; the duke’s insistence that Baekhyun brush up on his knowledge of his country’s laws; even the king allowing Baekhyun in the throne room with Chanyeol when citizens request an audience with the highest ruler.

All of that was a preamble for what’s to come. They were betrothed. Engaged. To-be married.

Maybe Baekhyun had rejoiced a little inside. But that was before he saw the prince’s displeasure. He was obviously not happy. Chanyeol had stormed out of the dining room, manners forgotten. He refused to speak to Baekhyun for days. When he finally did, the prince broke Baekhyun’s heart.

“Can’t you do anything about this, Baek? Talk to your father, maybe? I don’t want to marry you.”

If Baekhyun thought “heart-breaking” was just an expression before, he wasn’t so sure now. Because that was exactly how he felt - like his chest was being crushed into tiny little pieces.

“I’m sorry, Chanyeol. I-I can’t go against my father’s wishes,” he answered, keeping his head down and his fists clenched to keep the tears from flowing.

He couldn’t look at the prince. He didn’t want to see rejection in his eyes.

Most of all, he didn’t want to let Chanyeol see through him. He had just lied to his best friend.

His father had talked to him earlier and had asked him if marrying Chanyeol was something he wanted. If it wasn’t, the duke was willing to dissolve the agreement. It would cause discord between the Byuns and the royal family, but Baekhyun’s happiness was more important.

How could Baekhyun have said no? In the three years he’d known Chanyeol, he had already fallen deeply. He thought that he’d never a chance with the prince, but the opportunity had presented itself.

Was he going to be selfish? If that was what it would take to have the man he loves, then yes. So Baekhyun forgot about anything else, but the desire to have Chanyeol.

At nineteen, Chanyeol broke Baekhyun’s heart for the first time; and broke it again and again and again.

 

 

Baekhyun was twenty-one when he realized how love may kill him one day.

He asked that he and Chanyeol not be married until the prince turned twenty-three.

Two years. That was enough time to make the prince accept him, right?

For Chanyeol, it was the ultimate betrayal.

But Baekhyun remained relentless. He thought the prince’s anger wouldn’t last for long. He thought Chanyeol would eventually grow to love him.

So a year after their engagement, Baekhyun gave Chanyeol a key to his freedom – albeit, a temporary one. Ever since their betrothal, the crown prince’s individual activities became limited. The king and queen had insisted that Baekhyun accompany Chanyeol in almost all of his official business.

_‘To bring you closer,’_ they had said. It however, had the opposite effect. Baekhyun felt his fiancée drift away from him further over the course of the next few months. He was afraid that the prince was feeling suffocated, so he came up with a plan.

He had a secret passageway built. It ran from a secret door in the palace gardens to a small opening outside of the palace that led to the capital. Chanyeol’s parents had no knowledge of it, Baekhyun made sure of that.

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” the crown prince had said after the younger pressed the key onto his palm. Chanyeol had looked at him with such fondness and gratitude, it was like they were taken back to two year prior, before all of the mess that was their engagement happened. Baekhyun had to dig his nails into his palms to keep himself from bursting into tears.

Baekhyun found hope after that. He thought that Chanyeol would eventually warm up to him.

How totally naive of him.

After two years, Chanyeol still treated him coldly. He almost forgot they were once the best of friends.

Even after two years, Chanyeol still looked at him with indifference and resentment, as he had the day he told him there was nothing he could do to stop their marriage.

One would think that Baekhyun would be regretting his decision. But he doesn’t.

He loves Chanyeol. If this was the only way he can have him, he will take it.

_Even if it kills him._


	2. TWO

“Baekhyun, these are absolutely beautiful, my dear,” the queen gushes at the display of flowers at the dining table that day. He and the royal family were going to have breakfast together, but the king and Chanyeol were running late.

“Carnations, my queen. They symbolise pride and beauty. I especially chose the pink ones which mean the love of a woman and a mother. Only the best for you, your majesty.”

His mother-in-law touched his face affectionately. Baekhyun smiled at her.

It was not a secret how the king and queen adore their son-in-law. Baekhyun was doted upon, all his needs seen to. The queen had made it her mission to make him feel at home in the palace. It was the exact opposite of how his own husband treated him.

Chanyeol and the king arrived shortly, both men looking harrowed. It immediately had the queen fussing over them both. His husband took the seat beside him, without sparing him as much as a glance. He should have been used to it by now - except that he wasn’t. Baekhyun ignored the pinch in his chest.

“Are the rebels still causing trouble?” the queen asked when they were all seated.

His father-in-law waved off her question nonchalantly. “There is nothing for you to worry about, my love. All is well. Lord Byun has been working hard to appease them.”

Baekhyun’s ears perked up at the mention of his father.

“Your majesty, if I may, have you had any word from my father? It’s just that I haven’t spoken to him since I moved to the palace,” he asked.

“Ah, yes. He sent something for you, in fact. I will have it brought to your chambers. He also asked me to pass on the assurance of his good health and that he will be visiting soon.”

Baekhyun felt relieved at that. He and his father had barely spoken for almost two months. After his wedding, he was given a month to settle his belongings and affairs from his family home, before moving back to the palace. Correspondence with his father had been scarce since. All he knows is that the duke had been given orders from the king to oversee ongoing talks with the rebels that were causing a ruckus up north.

“You must have been worried about him, dear,” says the queen. “I hear you’ve been having trouble sleeping. You seem to have lost some weight. Do you not find your marital chambers to your liking?”

Baekhyun froze, the spoon he was holding left in mid-air. Beside him, he felt the crown prince stiffen.

“Chanyeol, I know you’re busy, but don’t you think you should pay more attention to your husband’s needs?” the king adds.

It was Baekhyun who recovered first and spoke up, “Our chambers are fine, your majesties. I simply think that I am still getting used to my new environment. I found it difficult to sleep during the first few months when I studied abroad too. And yes, I have been worried about my father, but news of his good health will put my mind at ease.”

He wondered when he started getting good at lying. The truth was for the past two months since he moved into Chanyeol’s chambers, he had been lying awake at night waiting for his husband to enter their shared room. Everyday, he had been disappointed. He ends up losing sleep instead.

He adds with a smile. “Please do not worry. I will eventually get used to it.”

_Just like how he got used to everything else._

The monarchs seemed to be satisfied with his answer as they simply smiled and nodded at him. From the corner of his eye, he snuck a glance at Chanyeol. His husband’s brows were furrowed, and his grip on his utensils were unusually tight, but he remained quiet. Baekhyun wondered what was going through is head, although he knows he will never find out.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful. Chanyeol excused himself as soon as he was done, not even bothering to say goodbye to him. Baekhyun hurried to catch up to him, but he was no match for the taller man’s strides. He found him in his study a little later, almost hidden behind the pile of documents on his desk.

The prince consort eyed the pillows and blankets stuffed on the couch near the windows. His suspicions were right.

His gaze fell on the large framed photo that on the wall. It was taken during their wedding day. Chanyeol had a calculated smile on, and Baekhyun had looked hopeful. Instead of giving him some form of comfort, seeing it only made him despair. He knew it was all for show. 

“May I speak to you?” he asked when the prince failed to acknowledge his presence.

“Can’t it wait until later? I’m pretty busy,” Chanyeol answered coldly.

Baekhyun held his ground. “It will only take a minute.”

At last, Chanyeol looked up from the documents he was reading and met his eyes. Baekhyun’s fists clenched at his sides, praying that it gives him the willpower to carry-on with this conversation.

“I want you to sleep in _your_ chambers tonight,” he began. He immediately held up a hand to stop Chanyeol from interrupting him. “If you are bothered about the possibility of sharing the same bed with me, don’t be. I’ve asked Kyungsoo to buy a day bed for me. It looks just like an ordinary couch, so no one will be suspicious.”

“Baekhyun, I—“

“If you go against my wishes, I will be forced to take this matter to the queen,” he chimed in, ignoring the crown prince’s scowl. “I know you already hate me for taking away your freedom. I don’t want to you to hate me even more for taking away the comfort of your own bed.”

He was proud of himself for managing to keep his voice businesslike, even with the turmoil going on inside his chest. “I expect _your_ bed to be unmade when I wake up tomorrow. Have a good day, your highness.”

 

 

Baekhyun held everything in on his way back to their shared chambers. It was when he was safely inside the room and had shut the double doors that he finally allowed himself to break down. Tears fell from his eyes in an endless stream. Sobs racked his whole body making him fall in a heap on the carpeted floor.

He had tried. He really did. For the last two years he had clung on to what little hope he had. He had hoped that he and Chanyeol would at least go back to being friends. He was willing to settle for that - even just a speck of affection from him.

All his efforts were futile. _Nothing_. There was nothing he could do to earn his husband’s love.

It was too late now. He had already made his bed, he will need to suck it up and lie in it.

With that in mind, he wiped his eyes and got up from the floor, still sniffling. It was then that his eyes caught a basket of marigold flowers in the middle of the bed. He moved to pick it up and saw a letter with his name scribbled on the outside. This must be what his father had sent for him.

He opened the piece of parchment and recognised the duke’s elegant handwriting. Warmth filled his chest. He was sure of at least one man’s love for him.

“ _I looked it up_ ,” the letter read. “ _This flower also means happiness that is yet to come. Remember that your happiness always comes first. I love you, my precious son. Always choose to be happy._ ”

For the second time that day, Baekhyun wept.

 

 

“Kyungsoo, can you remind me again what our laws are on divorce?”

His assistant looks at him in alarm. “Your highness, what brought this on?”

Baekhyun sighs. The thought has been nagging him for weeks. Except for their sleeping arrangements, nothing had changed about his relationship with his husband.

Chanyeol would come in when he thought Baekhyun was sleeping on the day bed he had procured. Baekhyun would wake up before him, move his pillows back to his “supposed” side of the bed, and quietly leave the room.

This has been going on for almost three weeks, and the words in the letter his father sent weighed heavily on his heart.

“I just… I want to know what my options are,” he answers quietly.

“ _Baekhyun_ ,” Kyungsoo began. The prince consort braced himself for the gentle scolding that usually follows when the other man used this tone on him.

Kyungsoo was assigned to him the day after his engagement. They had built a friendship over the past couple of years that he had been serving Baekhyun. Kyungsoo became a confidant, a shoulder to cry on, and an ear to all his unvoiced frustrations. He could not begin to imagine what his life for the past two years would have been if not for his assistant’s presence. He was _sure_ he would have lost his mind.

“I clearly told you before the wedding. Once you marry the prince, there is no way out. But you insisted you wanted to wed him, despite the strain in your relationship.”

“I know, I know,” he acquiesced, burying his face in his hands. “It’s just getting harder and harder, Soo. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

His friend smoothed his hands along his back, trying to offer him some comfort.

“Is he still distant?”

Baekhyun laughed bitterly. “Distant is not a strong enough word. He _despises_ me, Kyungsoo. Maybe this is my punishment for coveting him, when I always knew he will never love me.”

“I am sorry. It simply isn’t allowed, especially for the royal family. You are bound to him for life.”

“But it doesn’t say that I’m bound to him _until death_ , doesn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. It was just a thought. Forget we ever spoke about this.”

Baekhyun can’t help but think that the only way to give Chanyeol back his freedom is his own demise.

 

 

“Your highness, you are being summoned to the king’s study,” Kyungsoo informs Baekhyun one day.

He looks up from his book, brows furrowed. Why would the king request his presence? If the monarch needed something from him, he would usually pass a message through Chanyeol or Kyungsoo, but he has never asked Baekhyun to see him personally.

“Am I in trouble?” he asks his assistant, who simply shrugs his shoulders.

“Did you do anything to get you in trouble?”

“I… don’t think so…” he answers, unsure.

“It’s best if you go now. They are waiting.”

“They?”

“Oh, the crown prince is there too.”

Now, Baekhyun was just confused - and worried. What could they possibly discuss? He followed Kyungsoo’s advice and hurriedly made his way to the king’s study. He announced himself after knocking and waited to be acknowledged before entering the room.

“Have a seat, Baekhyun,” the king said in a friendly tone. The dismal expression he had on was the complete opposite, though. His eyes turned to his husband, who was standing quietly beside his father looking rather grim.

Baekhyun’s heart hammered in his chest. What was going on?

“Your majesty,” he bowed before taking the seat gestured to him. “Is something the matter?”

“Baekhyun…” the king began tentatively. His father-in-law draw in a staggering breath. The suspense was killing him. He was further alarmed when the monarch’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.

“Your majesty? What’s wrong? Are you unwell?” he asks worriedly.

The king shook his head and spoke with a shaky voice. “You are aware of the situation with the rebels, yes?”

“Yes, I am. I was told my father was negotiating with them. Why, your majesty? Has the situation worsened?”

“Baekhyun, son… It’s your father… He was… We thought that we had succeeded in appeasing the rebels… But it was a trick to catch us off guard… We weren’t prepared…”

“I’m sorry, your majesty, but I’m not following. What are you-?”

He couldn’t even finish his sentence. There were a lot of thoughts that came to him all at once. None of them made sense. _Where was his father? Was he hurt? What was happening?_

“Your father… He was ambushed… He’s gone, Baekhyun… I’m so sorry…”

Baekhyun heard the words but didn’t understand them. His father? Gone? What does ‘ _gone_ ’ mean? Surely it can’t be _that_? No. Not his father. _No_.

He became unconscious of his surroundings after that. He failed to hear the king’s adviser calling for the monarch’s attention. He didn’t hear his father-in-law tell him that he had to go as he had urgent matters to attend to. He didn’t hear his promise to take care of everything relating to his father’s funeral. He didn’t feel the older man hug him as he offered his condolences for his loss and the loss of a good friend and ally.

Baekhyun didn’t even feel the tears come. He heard someone sobbing, not realizing the wrecked whimpers came from his own body. He can’t feel a thing.

“Baekhyun… Baek, please talk to me,” he hears someone calling his name.

His eyes focus on the voice, and through the blur of his tears he sees his husband’s face. The crown prince was kneeling in front of him, their faces aligned. He had both of Baekhyun’s hands in his, grasping it with a force that he wasn’t able to notice until that moment. When had that happened?

“Chan-Chanyeol…”

His voice sounded broken even to his own ears.

“Please tell me I’m dreaming. Please tell me this isn’t really happening. My father is well, right? He promised he’d visit. He promised me, Chanyeol. He wouldn’t break his promise. Not to me.”

“I’m so sorry, Baek. God, I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun continues to shake his head in disbelief. “No, no! Don’t say that! Don’t fucking say that!”

“Baek—“

“I know you hate me, Chanyeol. But this joke is too cruel. Please take it back. I beg you. Please.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” his husband says over and over as he gathers his trembling body into his arms.

Any other day, Baekhyun would have been ecstatic. But why did Chanyeol choose to show he cares only at a time like this? He _hates_ it.

He struggles in the crown prince’s embrace, attempting to get out of it. He hits Chanyeol’s chest weakly, but the arms around him only tightened and in his weakened state, Baekhyun couldn’t do much.

He gives up after a while and sags against Chanyeols chest as he weeps for the father he lost. He feels exhaustion creep up on him, his muscles laxed and his breath turned into loud hiccups.

_‘I’m all alone now,’_ was the last thought he had before he succumbs to the darkness.

 

 

“Your highness, you have to eat.”

Baekhyun merely shakes his head and continues staring at the distance. He had asked his daybed to be moved beside the french windows facing north. He was under the delusion that he can get to his family’s home - a day’s car ride away - if he stared in this direction hard and long enough. It has been two days, and he hasn’t moved an inch.

“Baekhyun, please. You haven’t eaten anything in three days,” his assistant pleads.

“What’s the use, Kyungsoo? I’ll just throw it all back up. Even the smell of food makes me nauseous,” he answers flatly, not taking his eyes away from the view outside.

“Still, you have to at least put something in your stomach.”

“I’ll take it from here, Kyungsoo. Please leave us,” a voice interrupted. Baekhyun didn’t need to look to see who it was.

“Yes, your highness.”

When he hears the door close, Baekhyun hugged his knees close to his chest. It was a defensive stance. He knew what was coming next. He feels the mattress dip, and knows that Chanyeol had taken a seat at the foot of his bed.

“Baek—“

“Don’t bother, Chanyeol. Why pretend to care now?”

“You’re my husband, Baekhyun.”

“Funny you say that when you won’t even look at me until two days ago.”

“Baekhyun, please—“

He scoffs. “You’ve also said my name more times the past two days than you have for the two years we were engaged.”

Silence. He could hear the crown prince’s heavy breaths - a sign that he was close to losing his temper with him again. Baekhyun didn’t want to be difficult, but he thinks his husband deserves it. He was being silly and immature, but who cares? _He_ was the one who lost everything.

“Just leave, Chanyeol. I don’t want your pity.”

“For heaven’s sake, would you at least look at me when I’m trying to talk to you?”

Baekhyun ignores him and doesn’t bother to answer.

“What do you want me to do, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol almost yells. Baekhyun did his best no to flinch. “Do you expect me to just watch while you starve yourself to death?”

“Shouldn’t you be glad? You’ll finally be rid of me, then.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

He couldn’t keep his cool this time. He whipped his head harshly, and fixed his husband with a deadly glare.

“Don’t I? You didn’t even let me see my father for the last time before you had him buried. I couldn’t even say goodbye! I-I wanted to at least say goodbye...“

He hates that his voice broke at that last word.

After news of his father’s death, he was informed by the king that the duke was to be buried the next day in their family estate, beside his mother’s grave. He had his highest general Kim Minseok oversee the proceedings, but Baekhyun was not to leave the palace until the situation with the rebels was settled.

He had begged and pleaded with his father-in-law, but it all fell to deaf ears. He even swallowed his pride and asked Chanyeol to allow him to send his father off, but he also got the same response. He was furious. How could they deprive him of this?

Baekhyun takes a breath. “Tell me honestly, _your highness_. Do you really hate me that much?”

“I’m just trying to keep you safe, Baekhyun.”

“That’s bullshit.”

Chanyeol springs to his feet and looks at him incredulous.

“Didn’t you hear my father? The rebels are still at large. It would be dangerous for me - for us to travel there right now.”

“Of course it’s still about you! I could have gone myself, but you won’t let me out of this place!”

“I absolutely _will not_ let you go alone,” Chanyeol says, defeated. His husband palms his face and runs a hand through his styled hair, messing it up. “You aren’t thinking clearly. Please just give me time. I just need to make sure it’s safe for you. I promise I’ll take you to see your father.”

“Your promises mean nothing to me.”

He watched Chanyeol’s face morph into a stunned expression. He almost felt sorry for the prince. Was he about to cry?

“What do you want from me, Baekhyun?”

_No, Baekhyun. Don’t be swayed._

“Nothing. I don’t want your protection. I don’t want your pity. I want _absolutely_ nothing from you. _Leave_.”

He manages to keep his face expressionless and his voice hard. He turns away from his husband and fixed his sights on the windows again.

Chanyeol was quiet for a few seconds, before Baekhyun heard his deflated sigh.

“Please don’t do anything stupid,” were the last words he heard before hearing the door close softly.

Baekhyun sighs into the empty room. He was getting tired of arguing with Chanyeol, with being cooped up in their chambers. Maybe if he took a walk in the gardens and see his flowers again, he would feel better.

Then it hit him. He couldn’t believe it took him this long to remember.

He had a _way out_ , after all.

 

 

To say Chanyeol was distracted is an understatement. Around him, officials were discussing strategies, formulating plans, and arguing amongst themselves. He doesn’t hear any of it. Not when his earlier conversation with Baekhyun kept replaying in his head.

“Damn it all to hell!” he exclaimed.

At once, a hush fell inside the room. He could feel all their eyes on him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Hands come up to mess and tug at his hair again, making it even more unruly. He’d already received a good reprimand from Junmyeon earlier.

The said assistant was the one who broke the sudden chill in the atmosphere. He clapped his hands together once and said in his most cheerful voice: “Alright! I think it’s time for a quick break. My lords, please head over to the parlour for some refreshments.”

“We will reconvene in twenty minutes,” Junmyeon adds and turns to him. “Is that acceptable, your highness?”

He grunts in response and dismisses the party with a wave of his hand. One by one, the men file out of the room, leaving him with his furious assistant.

“Your highness, with all due respect, that was very irresponsible of you.”

“Junmyeon, give me a break,” he groans and slumps on the mahogany table, head cushioned by his arms.

“Is the prince consort still not eating well?” the other man inquires.

Chanyeol doesn’t need to tell him the cause of his distress. He had been voicing out how concerned he was of his husband’s dwindling appetite to the assistant continuously for the past three days.

“It’s not just that. We had—“ he began struggling to find the right words to describe what transpired between him and his husband. “A disagreement.”

“Is he still adamant about going home?”

Chanyeol looks up and meets Junmyeon’s eyes. He nods, sullen.

“He thinks I’m doing this because I _hate_ him,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief. “I hate the situation we’re in, but I can never hate him. It’s impossible. I just don’t want him hurt, Junmyeon. I don’t think I can live with myself if something happens to him.”

“Well, have you told him that?”

“I did. God, I did. But I’ve made such a mess of things. I don’t think he’d ever believe me now.”

Junmyeon was aware of the couple’s situation. It saddens him to see the two fall apart, when he had seen how good they were as friends. He had always been curious about Chanyeol’s opposition to the marriage, when he obviously had affection for the prince consort.

“If I may ask, why were you so against marrying him? I recall you were really fond of each other. You were hardly ever apart.”

Chanyeol looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I- I honestly don’t know. All my life, I’ve been told what to do. I was hoping that I’d at least have some control over my heart. But then they tell me I should marry Baekhyun - my best friend, of all people! I just got so... _angry_. Everytime I see him, I’m reminded of the fact that I’m merely a puppet.”

“You know what I think?” Junmyeon starts, asking for permission. The crown prince perks up at this and encourages him to continue with a nod. 

“I think that’s just your pride talking. You were so caught up with the idea of marrying for love that you failed to see what’s right in front of you. Surely, you’ve noticed? It’s like watching a piece of metal gravitate towards a magnet. I mean, have you seen how his highness looks at you? You aren’t even _that great_ , but he looks at you like you’re the center of the universe - his universe.”

Chanyeol was slightly taken aback, especially by the last comment. His assistant had never been this vocal with him before. However, he remains silent and Junmyeon takes this as a sign to keep going.

“Tell me, if you weren’t forced into this marriage - if hypothetically, you were allowed to fall in love with someone on your own free will, wouldn’t that someone be Baekhyun?”

“I-I don’t…” the prince stutters. “I’ve never seen him _that_ way.”

Junmyeon sighs and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve seen how you look at him too, your grace. You may say you’re not in love with him, but I think you’re already halfway there. I believe you’re right. You don’t hate him. You just hate the fact that you were forced into this situation before you even realized your feelings for your husband.”

After Junmyeon’s tirade, the crown prince remained silent, mouth slightly agape, while trying to process what his assistant just told him.

“But what do I know? I’m just your assistant,” Junmyeon says with finality and gives him a gentle pat on the back. “I will be back in ten minutes, your highness. Please compose yourself by then.”

Chanyeol’s mind was reeling. Could what Junmyeon have said be true?

He cares for Baekhyun. Deeply. He made a poor job of showing it for the past years, but he does. Which was why he was firm with his decision to not let his husband go unaccompanied. There were still unknown dangers, and just thinking of Baekhyun getting hurt made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

If Junmyeon was right, he’d already fucked things up so bad. How can he ever make amends?

He acted so despicably towards his husband.

Looking back, it was Baekhyun who used to stay up late and study with him when he thought he was going to go out of his mind. It was Baekhyun whom he confided his worries to, and who had always encouraging things to say to him.

Baekhyun who never left his side, though he treated him so poorly after they were engaged.

Baekhyun who strongly insisted - much to his parents’ displeasure, that they be married two years after the engagement to give Chanyeol time to get used to the idea of marrying him.

Baekhyun who built him a secret passageway in the royal gardens as an engagement gift for when he feels suffocated inside the palace and needed to get out.

It had been Baekhyun all along. His husband was there, loving him, but he took him for granted.

How could he have been so blind, so stupid?

Through his epiphany, he had come to a sudden realization.

_The secret passageway! The gardens! Baekhyun!_

He was out of his seat and was bursting through the hallways in impeccable speed. He threw the double doors to their shared chambers open as soon as he reached them. He found Kyungsoo in the room, tidying up empty dishes from the table beside his husband’s bed.

“Your highness!” Kyungsoo exclaims in surprise and squints his eyes at his disheveled state. “Is everything alright?”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol answers, breathless from all the running. “Where is he?”

“He wanted to take a walk in the gardens, your highness. I think he’s feeling better. He even managed to finish his food.”

Chanyeol feels his legs give out from under him.

“Your highness!” Kyungsoo rushes to his side looking alarmed at how the prince’s face suddenly lost all color.

“We have to find him, Kyungsoo. _Now_!”

 

 

It had been late afternoon when he arrived at their family estate, having hitched a ride from merchants who were passing by this side of town. If the couple he met were suspicious of his identity, they didn’t speak much of it. One look at the prince consort’s tear-stained face had softened their resolves. They even refused Baekhyun’s offer to pay them for the trouble.

Their startled butler welcomed him at the gates. Baekhyun skipped the explanations on why he was travelling without a contingent, as it was the custom for members of the royal family. The stern tone he used warded of all their staff’s questions, even allowing him to go to the burial grounds unaccompanied.

The graveyard was located at the farthest part of their property, almost bordering the forest. Baekhyun approaches his parents’ graves with heavy steps. The invisible weight on his chest grows heavier with each centimetre he gets closer.

He sinks on his knees as he reaches the markers and runs his hands on the epitaphs.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, father,” he says as his fingers trace his father’s name. He doesn’t bother to hold back his sobs. One of the reasons why he wanted to go alone was this. He can break down with no one watching, no one judging.

He wishes he at least brought flowers for their graves. Callalilies had been his father’s favorite. He utters a whispered promise of bringing some when he comes back under better circumstances.

Baekhyun doesn’t know how long he sits there, with nothing but the gentle breeze as his company. It was dusk when he finally decided to head home.

As furious as he may be with his husband, he knows the latter would be worried, and he doesn’t want that. Truthfully, he heeded the prince’s warnings about the rebels at large.

He stands up and dusts his trousers. “I will miss you. I hope you are in a better place. I’ll be okay, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“You spoke too soon, your highness.”

It all happened in a flash. Before Baekhyun had registered that he wasn’t alone, he found himself restrained and face-to-face with an unknown man. His face was grimy and scarred, as was his body. He had a dagger in his hand - small, but still deadly.

Baekhyun turned to look at those that held him from both sides. They had the same appearance as the man, but looked at the one with the dagger with reverence, that made Baekhyun think he was their leader.

What alarmed the prince consort more, was when he realized that he had brought a lot of men with him. They were surrounding him in a circle. He was trapped.

“We were wondering when you’d show up. We were going to come get you ourselves if you delayed another day, but here you are. Right where we want you.”

Baekhyun felt dread creep up on him and chills run down his spine. So Chanyeol had been right.

“What do you want?” he manages to say without trembling.

The man smirked. It wasn’t like any of Chanyeol’s signature smirks. It didn’t give him pleasant butterflies in his stomach. Instead, the smile was full of evil intent and malice.

“Why, _you_ , of course.”

Baekhyun’s hands started shaking and his throat felt dry. He swallowed nervously, but kept his gaze fixed on the man. He didn’t want him to find out how terrified he was.

The leader came closer and ran the tip of his dagger across Baekhyun’s cheek. It wasn’t forceful enough to make him bleed, but he could still feel the cold metal against his skin. He tried his best not to cower.

“Tell us, _your highness_ , what price would the crown prince be willing to pay in exchange for your life?”

The prince consort was left baffled. Him? They were going to use _him_ as leverage? He couldn’t help it. He started laughing.

“That’s your plan? To use me as hostage?”

The rebels exchanged glances among themselves. Even their leader was slightly fazed by the royal’s reaction. He was literally laughing in the face of death.

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but you have the wrong person. The crown prince does not love me. I mean nothing to him,” Baekhyun taunts and smiles triumphantly.

The man’s face turned heinous.

“Well in that case, we don’t have any use for you, do we?” he growled.

Then Baekhyun felt it. The sharp pain on his lower abdomen. The hands held behind his back were freed, and instinctively clutched at the dagger still embedded onto his flesh. He felt warm liquid slip through his fingers. It was red. Blood.

His legs give out from underneath him and he slumped face down on the ground. Black dotted his vision and all he started hearing static in his ears.

_Is this how it feels to be dying?_

He didn’t know how long he lay there. His eyes were getting heavy as more blood gushed out of the wound in his stomach.

Maybe he was delirious, but he suddenly hears shouts and grunts of pain from around him.

And somebody was calling his name. The voice was tremendously familiar. It was a voice he’d recognize anywhere.

_Chanyeol?_

Despite of himself, Baekhyun smiled. If Chanyeol’s voice was the last thing he hears before his last breath, he would take it. There was no better way to go.

“Baek… Baekhyun, please… No… Don’t you dare die on me… You can’t leave me…”

_Goodbye, Chanyeol. I love you_.

 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes flutter open. When his vision comes to focus, he sees cream-colored ceilings and a familiar-looking chandelier.

Is this what the afterlife looks like? Why does it look so similar to his marital chambers?

He tries to wriggle his fingers and toes, bringing some feeling into his nerves. His body feels weirdly light. Too light.

“Your highness? Are you awake?” he hears a voice whisper from beside him.

Wait. What was Kyungsoo doing here?

He whips his head so fast towards the direction of the voice that he gets whiplash.

“Kyungsoo,” he croaks out with a scratchy voice. “What are you-? Did you die too?”

The prince consort’s eyes burned from unshed tears. Kyungsoo can’t die too, he can’t.

“Oh, Baekhyun,” his assistant exclaims throwing himself over him. Baekhyun grunts as he feels Kyungsoo’s solid body smother him.

“We were so worried… We thought…” Kyungsoo continues to ramble before releasing him from his embrace.

“Wait, why are you crying?” Baekhyun asks when he sees his assistant’s damp cheeks.

“Because- No, wait… I should… Don’t move, please… I’ll be right back.”

Baekhyun was left befuddled. He obviously wasn’t dead. It was also the first time he saw Kyungsoo so agitated.

What the hell happened?

He tries to sit up but immediately fell back onto the soft mattress when he felt a heavy sting on his stomach. He winced in pain.

_Right_. He was stabbed.

“I told you not to move! Why are you so stubborn!”

Baekhyun cringes at Kyungsoo’s reprimand. “Uh… I’m sorry?”

The assistant sighs and cups a hand at the back of his neck. He approaches the royal’s bed and helps him prop his back on the headboard in a sitting position. Then, he sits beside Baekhyun carefully.

“Do you want some water?”

“Please,” he answers instantly. His throat felt very dry, like he swallowed a bag of sand.

Kyungsoo holds up a glass near his lips and reminds him to take small sips. Baekhyun feels a bit better after.

“The doctor will be here soon. Keep still. Your wound might open up.”

That’s when he notices the medical equipment on his bedside with wires attached to his body, and his left arm hooked into an IV.

The prince consort nods meekly. “What happened? How did I end up here?”

Another sigh. Baekhyun deflated. Kyungsoo seemed very disappointed with him and it didn’t sit well with the royal.

“When his highness figured out where you’d gone, he immediately rallied the troops. It took some time to organize everything, that’s why we were a bit late in getting to you. You’d already lost a lot of blood when we found you. We… We thought we were going to lose you. It was a good thing the crown prince thought of bringing Yixing along. He was able to treat you in time.”

“How-How long was I unconscious?”

“Today is the fifth day. Yixing had to take you to the hospital for a blood transfusion, but the crown prince insisted that you be moved here once your condition stabilised.”

“Hang on. You said Chanyeol rallied the troops. How could he organize an army that fast?”

Even if they did come a bit later, Baekhyun realized that there was no way the contingents would be ready in a few hours. He was rescued too fast, as a matter of fact.

“The crown prince had them ready since the death of your father, Baekhyun. They were just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The rebels you encountered might have looked shabby, but their forces are strong.”

Baekhyun was left speechless. He remembered his last conversation with his husband. He had told him to wait. He just didn’t listen.

“Why did you do that?” his assistant admonished. “Your husband told you to be patient, didn’t he? How could you put yourself in danger like that?”

The prince consort didn’t even try to defend himself. He hangs his head in shame and apologizes again. Kyungsoo takes both of his hands and squeezes.

“It doesn’t matter now. I’m just happy you’re okay. Your husband though…”

“Why? Was he hurt?”

Kyungsoo avoids his eyes and gestures to the other side of the bed instead. Baekhyun sees his daybed, moved from its previous position beside the windows.

“He hasn’t left your side, even once. He refuses to sleep anywhere else, too. He brings all his work here. If it weren’t for the execution today, he’d be the one talking to you instead of me.”

Baekhyun was thankful for that fact. He didn’t know if he was ready to face Chanyeol yet.

“Execution? What execution?” he asked.

“For the rebels, of course. They were tried and found guilty of treason. Their sentences will be carried out today. Right at this moment, in fact.”

“Their punishment?”

“Beheading.”

Baekhyun shivered.

“The crown prince wanted to oversee it himself. He said he wants to see the man who stabbed you punished for his crimes with his own eyes. He looked really scary while he said that,” Kyungsoo added thoughtfully.

Their conversation was cut short when the doors to the chambers flew open and Chanyeol came rushing in.

“Kyungsoo, is it true? Has he woken up?” were his urgent words before registering the fact that his husband was indeed awake.

“Baekhyun,” he says - voice almost as soft as a whisper, and takes tentative steps towards the makeshift hospital bed. His husband stops at the foot of his bed and turns to Kyungsoo. “Have you called Yixing?”

“Yes, your highness. He is on his way,” his assistant answers. He gives Baekhyun’s hands one last squeeze and stood up. “In fact, I’ll go wait for him downstairs. You two can… um… talk.”

The door closed behind Kyungsoo with an audible click. Then there was awkward silence.  Baekhyun couldn’t meet his husband’s eyes, so he kept his gaze down, focusing on the sheets that covered him from the waist down.

He didn’t even notice that the crown prince had walked to the side of the bed and got startled when he heard him clear his throat to get his attention.

“May I?” his husband asks and gestures to the spot Kyungsoo had previously occupied.

Why was he asking permission? Baekhyun nods anyway.

“How are you feeling?” the prince asks. He was far enough that they weren’t touching, but close enough for Baekhyun to feel the heat from his body radiating off of him.

“Like I’ve been stabbed,” he says, trying to lighten the mood.

Chanyeol, however, does not find it funny. “Will you look at me? Please? I want to see you.”

He swallows nervously before raising his head to meet his husband’s gaze. The sight that welcomed him made him gasp. From far away, it wasn’t noticeable, but up-close it was there.

An angry welt, obviously a cut from a sword, ran across his husband’s left cheek, almost hitting his eye. The scar had already turned pink, but had undoubtedly hurt.

Baekhyun’s hands reached out to touch the prince’s cheek on instinct.

“Your face,” he says as his index finger traces the mark. “How did this happen?”

“I got careless. Don’t worry about it. It will heal.”

“But…” he counters as his eyes start to water. His husband, the country’s crown prince, was hurt. _Because of him_.

Chanyeol notices the change in his mood and immediately captures the hand that was on his cheek. The prince’s thumb runs soothing circles on the back of his hand. “Baekhyun, it will heal. It’s not a big deal.”

“I’m sorry! This is my fault! I’m sorry,” he blurts out and starts sobbing.

“Oh no, darling. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry,” Chanyeol says, panicking a little.

He pulls his husband very, very carefully into his chest, as little whimpers leave his lips. Baekhyun lets him.

“None of this is your fault, Baekhyun. If anything, it’s mine. I failed to protect you. Please stop crying. Doctor Zhang will have my head if he finds out I made you anxious.”

Baekhyun looks up at him, face still buried on his chest. “Does it hurt?”

The crown prince thought his husband looked so adorable with his droopy eyes still brimming with tears and the little pout on his face. He resists the urge to coo at the prince consort.

He shakes his head no. “Not anymore. It’s a small price to pay for getting you back.”

The prince consort blinks a couple of times, more tears running from his eyes. Chanyeol sighs and wipes them with his thumb.

“You have to stop shedding tears for me, Baekhyun. I don’t deserve them.”

Before Baekhyun could formulate an answer, they were interrupted by a knock on the door and Kyungsoo announcing the doctor’s arrival.

He was examined at once. The royal doctor and his nurses fussed over him like nobody’s business. While all of that was going on, Baekhyun’s eyes locked with his husband who was quietly watching from across the room. The prince offered him a shy, reluctant smile. Baekhyun nodded gingerly.

His message was clear. They still needed to talk, but Baekhyun’s well-being comes first.

He wonders if he’ll be ready when that day comes.

 

 

Doctor Zhang deems him safe from life-threatening danger, but puts the prince consort on bed rest for another week for his wound to fully recover. He has Kyungsoo and the crown prince make sure that this order is complied.

Baekhyun barely lifted a finger for the past week. Kyungsoo waited on him during the day, making sure he had everything he needed, while Chanyeol watched from the sidelines. Though most of the time, his husband was quietly doing his own work - yes, he still refused to leave their chambers while Baekhyun was still recovering - one grunt of pain from Baekhyun had him out of his seat and at his side in an instant.

The prince consort wanted to relish in the attention, but part of him was still doubtful. He questions Chanyeol’s actions more often than he wants to.

_Why was he so kind to him? Was it because he felt guilty?_

Things were certainly getting better between them. It was like they were back to being how they were before the news of their engagement broke out. Although Baekhyun wanted to, he can’t bring himself to be fully be happy about how things are progressing. Because no matter how attentive Chanyeol was to his needs, they still have yet to address the elephant in the room.

It was easier to ignore during the day, when Kyungsoo was there to ease the tension and the awkwardness. But when night falls, and they are left alone, Baekhyun’s uncertainties eat him up from the inside. He just wants to talk it out with his husband, so that he knows where he stands and just get it over with.

However, when he tries to bring it up, Chanyeol shushes him.

“Let’s talk about it after you’re better, hm?” he says. “The doctor said you can’t be stressed out. Let’s just focus on getting you healed for now, okay?”

Baekhyun lets himself be enamored. How could he say no when Chanyeol looks at him with those puppy-dog eyes of his? It was a look that the crown prince used to give him when he wanted something from the Baekhyun. He was always a sucker for it.

The prince would then help Baekhyun with his medication, and watch over him as he succumbs to the drowsiness brought about by the pain killers he was prescribed. That left no room for the latter to argue. Instead, his apprehension grew day by day, anticipating the “talk” that was to come.

He was provided a breather when Chanyeol was called off to travel back north to their borders and oversee the rehabilitation of the damages caused by the altercation with the rebels. Initially, the crown prince had refused, not wanting to leave his husband’s side.

It was Baekhyun’s insistence that had him agreeing to go, along with Kyungsoo’s assurance to never leave the prince consort alone for a single second, while he was still in recovery. Baekhyun had rolled his eyes at this request, but eventually caved in.

He would be gone for a few days, and Yixing’s mandated bed rest for Baekhyun’s would be over by the time he returned.

“We’ll talk when I get back,” the crown prince had promised. “Take care of yourself, until then.”

The day after he was officially declared fit to move around on his own by the doctor, he had asked his assistant that he be allowed to go down to the royal gardens on his own. He hadn’t seen his flowers in a while, and although he was assured that they were well cared for - Chanyeol made sure of it, his assistant told him - the prince consort wanted to see them for himself.

Kyungsoo fixes him with a suspicious glare. Baekhyun recoils under his assistant’s scrutiny.

“Are you going to sneak out again?” he accuses.

“Soo, come on! I already apologised for that, and I promised I won’t do it again,” he whines. “But if I ever decide to, I’ll make sure I take you with me.”

The assistants frown deepens, but his fond smile gives him away. “You brat. If it wasn’t considered a crime, I would have smacked you in the head a long time ago. You’re lucky I like my head right where it is - attached to my body.”

Baekhyun faked a hurt expression. “Do you think so little of me, Kyungsoo? You’re my friend! Of course I won’t let you get beheaded.”

“A few spanks on your behind, maybe, but never beheaded,” he adds in jest when his assistant chuckles.

“You’re smiling,” Kyungsoo observes.

“Am I?” he replies and shrugs. “I don’t know. I feel… lighter. Optimistic.”

Kyungsoo flashes him his signature heart-shaped smile. “Good. I missed seeing that look on your face. It suits you.”

“Are you trying to make me cry?”

His assistant snorts at his attempt at drama and waves him off. “Go on your walk. Just don’t overdo it, or the crown prince will have my head.”

“Stop talking about beheading. It’s getting morbid,” he complains. “For the record, I give you permission to smack me on the head the next time I mess up.”

“Let’s get that in writing with your seal on it, because I’ll hold you to that,” says the other man and lands a light flick on his forehead for good measure. “Go now. I’ll have your handmaidens bring refreshments in a few minutes.”

With a last wave at Kyungsoo, he heads out for the gardens. His mood instantly brightens when he sees his flowers. His assistant was right; they really were taken cared of during his absence.

He walks along the man-made paths, the smile on his face getting wider as he takes in the beauty around him. He passes by his favorites, the daffodils and marigolds, but what he sees makes him halt in his step.

Among the yellow was a new plot of purple and blue flowers that he was certain weren’t there before. The bulbous blooms stand out in midst of all the golden tones.

Hyacinths. Purple and blue hyacinths.

He tries to recall what the flower signifies.

“The purple ones are supposed to convey apologies.”

Baekhyun jumps at the sound of his husband’s voice and turns to find him standing right behind him. He had both of his hands in his pockets, looking as handsome as the first night they met.

“As in: I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m sorry for the way I treated you. Please forgive me,” the crown prince continues when all Baekhyun did was gape at him.

“Chanyeol! When did you get back?” Baekhyun asked when he finally gathered his wits.

“A minute ago. Kyungsoo told me you’d be here,” the crown prince says as he moves closer and comes to a stop in front of him. “I also looked up the daffodils. They mean unrequited love, but on the other hand, they can also mean new beginnings. Did I get it right?”

“Huh?” Baekhyun dumbly asks.

“The flowers. Did I get their meanings right?”

“You-You did this?”

The crown prince nods.

“And the blue hyacinths?” the prince consort asks again, still unable to fully comprehend what was happening.

“The blue ones mean sincerity and constancy,” the prince replies without batting an eyelash. “As in: I promise to remain faithful and devoted to you until my last breath, because it is what you deserve.”

Chanyeol takes one more step closer.

“I know I’m not entitled to your forgiveness. You can’t hate me as much as I hate myself. I hate that your life had to be put in danger for me to realize that I can’t lose you. That I love you.”

“Chanyeol, w-what are you—“

“All I’m asking for is a chance, Baek. Give me a chance to prove it; to love you as you deserve to be loved, because that is what your beautiful heart is worth.”

Those words. Baekhyun thought he’d never hear it from his husband - not in this lifetime. He couldn’t help it, he started crying. Chanyeol was beside him in an instant.

“Why do I always end up making you cry?” he says tenderly as he brushes his thumbs across his husband’s cheeks, willing the tears away. “My best friend. My husband. My prince. How I love you so.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. It was all too much. Too much, too soon.

“Chanyeol I— I want to believe you. I really, really want to,” he says in between sniffles and hiccups. “But you’ve hurt me so much. I don’t know if I can trust you again.”

“I understand that, Baek, I do. God, I deserve to be given hell for what I put you through. I deserve to grovel at your feet. And I’ll take it. I’ll take everything if it means I get to be with you, if it means I don’t lose you. Because I don’t think I can live through that. I can’t.”

The desperation in his husband’s voice can’t be masked. Baekhyun feels his resolve slowly crumble. How weak he was for this man.

“I don’t care if it takes months, or years, or decades for you to trust me again. I’ll wait.  So please...”

Baekhyun knows he can refuse. If he does, they’ll go back to being strangers. Married, yes, but still strangers. But is that what he really wants?

Can he risk it? What if he never gets over his doubts, his insecurities? What if Chanyeol decides he doesn’t want him anymore? Can he endanger his heart and get it broken again?

The crown prince reaches behind him to pluck out a single daffodil and offers it to him.

“Will you give me another chance? I want to work for it, I’ll strive to deserve you. Please let me.”

His eyes searched Chanyeol’s face and was confounded with the emotions he saw. The crown prince bared it all. His desperation, his eagerness, his determination. It was however, what he saw in his husband’s eyes that solidified Baekhyun’s decision.

In Chanyeol’s eyes he saw an unspoken promise - a promise of happiness that is yet to come. He remembers the marigolds and his father’s last letter to him. He silently sends the duke a prayer of thanks.

Baekhyun smiles and takes the daffodil from Chanyeol’s hands.

“Okay.”

When he was twenty-one, Baekhyun finally found his marigold.


	3. Epilogue

Crown Prince Chanyeol closes the door behind him as quietly as he possibly can, trying not to wake his sleeping husband. The day’s events probably took a heavy toll on Baekhyun, as it did the previous year. The prince consort had been smiling throughout the ceremonies. It was sincere, but Chanyeol knew the sorrow hidden behind it. They were after all commemorating his father-in-law’s passing.

The two years had gone by so quickly and they had been doing well, but the reminder of what his husband had lost always put him in a melancholic mood. Chanyeol hated that he couldn’t do anything to ease Baekhyun’s pain. He only hoped his presence provided him even just a little comfort.

He tiptoed into the room, and frowned when he saw that his husband had left the windows open, yet again. They were spending the last night in Baekhyun’s family estate and this side of the country is always colder. It was early spring and some traces of winter’s chill was still felt. The wind wasn’t blowing too harshly, but he was sure that Baekhyun would fall sick if this kept up. He closed the windows with a sigh and headed over to where his tiny husband was asleep on the bed.

The room was dark, except for the little lamp on Baekhyun’s opposite side - he probably kept it on for Chanyeol. He kneeled beside the bed and gazed at his husband’s sleeping form. He was on his side, cheek resting on the pillow and his clasped hands beside his face. The wedding band on his ring finger glimmered in the night. The sight made Chanyeol feel warm and giddy. This exquisite man was his husband. /His/.

Unable to help himself, he runs his fingers through Baekhyun’s soft locks, a small smile gracing his features as he does. His husband is always beautiful in his eyes, but he finds him more beautiful like this - peaceful and without a care in the world. It always makes his chest surge with a fierce protectiveness for this man that he adores with all his being.

He regretted the action later, when Baekhyun started stirring awake. His husband was such a light sleeper, the smallest of noises rouse him.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun asks softly, with eyes still closed.

“Yes, it’s me darling. I’m sorry, go back to sleep.”

His husband hums and stretches before his eyes finally flutter open. “Did your meeting just end?”

“Yes,” he answers and resumes stroking Baekhyun’s hair. “We had a lot to talk about.”

“How did it go?”

Chanyeol smiles. He always likes how his husband takes interest in his affairs, finding it strangely endearing.

“It went well, Baek. All is good.”

Baekhyun rewards him with a smile of his own. “That’s good to hear.”

“You should go to back to sleep. I know you’re tired.”

“You are, too.”

Chanyeol chuckles. If there was one thing about Baekhyun that didn’t change, it was his stubbornness. The crown prince knew how to handle it well now. Most of it just involves agreeing with his husband.

“Alright, alright. I’ll wash up and come to bed,” he says and ruffles Baekhyun’s hair affectionately.

“Hurry back. It’s cold.”

“It wouldn’t be if you didn’t leave the windows open,” he scolds and Baekhyun pouts.

“I forgot about them.”

The crown prince shakes his head in amusement. “I’ll be right back. Try to go back to sleep, okay?”

He drops a kiss on his husband’s forehead and heads to the bathroom. He tried not to take too long, knowing Baekhyun would probably be propped up on the bed waiting for him to return. True enough, that was the scene that greeted him when he returned to the bedroom.

The prince consort beams when he sees him and Chanyeol’s reprimand dies on his tongue. Chanyeol calls it being smitten. Junmyeon had a different opinion. “Whipped” was the word his assistant would use.

True to the promise he made two years ago, he courted his husband. The crown prince showered him with affection that he had deprived him of during their engagement and the early days of their marriage. He spared no effort to make Baekhyun feel loved and cherished, the way he always deserved.

Flowers played an important part in it, of course. He would make sure Baekhyun received fresh ones when he opens his eyes every morning. Most days, Chanyeol would come bearing it himself with Baekhyun’s breakfast. Other times, when he was called in to his responsibilities early, they would be on their bedside table, or on Chanyeol’s pillow. He dotes on his husband, and he was not ashamed of it. Baekhyun’s new favorites were bellflowers and primroses, all because of what they symbolise.

He climbs on to his side of the bed and pulls Baekhyun to his chest, arms encircling him in a comforting embrace. His husband comes willingly and snuggles in, fitting perfectly against him.

This was one of the improvements to their relationship. They had become comfortable initiating physical contact with each other, although they had never gone beyond a chaste kiss.

That happened once, on their second wedding anniversary, not too long ago. It was a spur of the moment action on Baekhyun’s part, when he was overwhelmed with the fountain Chanyeol had built for him in his garden as his anniversary present.

The crown prince did not mind one bit. Baekhyun was flustered, though - immediately turning beet red and sputtering excuses adorably. Chanyeol had half-a-mind to grab his face and kiss him senseless. It was a good thing he had exemplary self-control.

“Today was hard wasn’t it?” he says softly while drawing comforting circles on Baekhyun’s back.

His husband nods against his chest. “I don’t know if it would ever get easier. I miss him, Chanyeol.”

“I know, love. I wish there was something I could do to make it better.”

One of Baekhyun’s arms move and circle his waist, while his other hand remains on Chanyeol’s chest, close to where his heart was beating. “This helps. A lot.”

“I’m glad,” he answers with a smile. He tightens his arms around the smaller man.

Baekhyun hums and curls up closer to him. Comfortable silence settled between them after that. He thought his husband had already dozed off, but then the Baekhyun let out a big yawn that would have their etiquette teachers throwing a fit. It was followed by some melodious giggling.

_Adorable._

Chanyeol smiles and squeezes Baekhyun’s waist. “Alright. I think it’s time for bed, little one.”

His husband nods once more and mutters a soft “Good night, Chanyeol.”

“Good night, my darling. I love you.”

During the past years that he committed himself to wooing his husband, he has never failed to tell him those three words every single day. He has yet to hear them back, but he hardly minds. He will wait until Baekhyun was ready - however long it takes. What matters to him is that his husband knows how he feels. That was enough.

Baekhyun lifts his head and looks at him. “Thank you for being here with me.”

He drops a kiss along Chanyeol’s jaw, the nearest spot he could reach. A smile blooms on the crown prince’s face.

“Always.”

 

 

A few days after they had returned to the palace, Chanyeol’s father, the king pays the crown prince a visit in his study. He looks up from his work as the monarch enters the room and makes himself comfortable on the receiving couch.

“Your flowers are growing nicely,” his father says, eyeing the plant box outside his office window.

“They finally bloomed today. I will have to ask Baekhyun what kind of flowers they are, though. He never did tell me.”

The flowers were personally planted by his husband as a present for his birthday the previous year. He was made to promise to never let them wither, so that they may bloom in time for spring. He had taken exceptionally great care of them. It represented more than a birthday present to the prince. It was his husband finally trusting him with something of his.

“Jonquil,” the king answers, with a knowing smile. “They are Jonquil flowers.”

“Oh. Mystery solved. I’d have to look up what it means,” he says distractedly. _Why was his father smiling like that?_

“What brings you here, your majesty? Is there a problem?” he asks as he takes the seat opposite his elder.

The king waves his hand. “Nothing of the sort. I am just here to find out how your trip was. We didn’t get a chance to catch up the moment you got back.”

Chanyeol nods in understanding. “My discussion with the province leaders went well. They are pleased with how the country’s economy is growing. No altercations from the opposition have been recorded for the last two years. It seems like we have finally made peace with them. They seem to be satisfied.”

“Hm. I am aware of the situation in the provinces, and I must commend you for doing such an excellent job. That, however was not what I wanted an update on.”

The prince’s brows furrow in confusion. “What was it that you wanted to hear about then, if I may ask?”

“Chanyeol,” his father says placidly. “I wanted to know about _your_ trip. How was Baekhyun? I’m sure it wasn’t the most pleasant of days.”

He sighs. “It wasn’t. I wish there was something more I could do for him. It breaks my heart to see him so anguished.”

The king was quiet for a while, looking deep in thought.

“Did you ever wonder why I chose Baekhyun as your betrothed? I could have chosen anyone else, but I wanted no one but him as your spouse. It wasn’t because he is the son of a close friend.”

“I wanted someone strong-willed - a match for you, someone intelligent, compassionate. But mostly, it was because I saw the way he looked at you. He tried to disguise it, but it was clearly there. I wanted someone who would love you and care for you, despite the fact that your union was arranged.”

Chanyeol recalls a similar conversation he had with Junmyeon. “Clearly, everyone knew about it, but me.”

The king chuckles. “You were always oblivious, my son. I think you got that from me. Your mother complains about it to this day.”

“I know, father,” he says with a small grin. “If I wasn’t so blind, I’d have saved us both from heartache.”

“We may be royal, but we are human too. Just as long as you have realised your misgivings and atone for them, it doesn’t make you less of a man.”

The prince looks at his father as he takes the elder’s words to heart. For the rest of the nation, the man was a strict and unapproachable monarch. But for Chanyeol, his father was a compassionate and loving man, never failing to give his family support despite the scale of his responsibilities as a ruler.

“I am trying father. I’ll do whatever it takes to make my husband trust me again.”

The king claps a hand over his shoulder. “Take care of him, son. Our family is lucky to have him.”

What Chanyeol didn’t know was that there was something the king never told him. He had overheard a conversation between his son-in-law and his assistant years ago. It was purely coincidence - the king wanting to personally deliver news of the whereabouts prince consort’s father. He had meant to talk to his son about it then, but never got the chance to, as the news of the duke’s death brought upon much urgent matters.

But what he heard had always plagued his mind. He never wanted things to turn out the way it had for his son and his betrothed. He had honestly thought that Chanyeol would immediately come to his senses and realise his feelings himself. He should have known better, fully aware that the crown prince was as dense as he was. Still, he never wanted to hear _that word_ spoken by his son-in-law again.

He had fervently prayed that things would eventually get better for the couple, and he was pleased to see that there had been a lot of progress over the last few years.

He looks at the Jonquil flowers again. Everything is going to be all right.

“I will, your majesty,” Chanyeol answers over the king’s musings.

The monarch stands and prepares to leave the room, but not before throwing one last comment his son’s way, that made the younger royal blush to his roots.

“And Chanyeol, I expect grandchildren soon.”

——

Chanyeol pulls out the the book Junmyeon got for him on the language of flowers and looks for the particular plant his father had mentioned.

It took him less than a minute to read through the single paragraph describing the flower’s symbolism, but a full eight minutes to comprehend what it meant.

He gives up after another minute and just decides to confront the man who gave him this riddle. He storms out of his office with a purpose.

He finds his husband right away, having committed his daily schedule to memory. He has Kyungsoo with him in his study, poring over plans for the upcoming Spring Festival. The queen had delegated this task to the prince consort the previous year and was impressed by the results, so she had permanently put his husband in charge of the annual event.

Baekhyun looks up and turns his attention on him as he steps in to the room. He takes in Chanyeol’s anxious face and cocks an eyebrow in silent question.

“The gift you gave me bloomed today,” the prince says in greeting.

A look of understanding dawns on his husband’s face. Chanyeol’s heartbeat quickened.

So his husband _did_ give that plant to him deliberately. He doesn’t know what to make of it yet.

“Kyungsoo, can we continue this later? I need to talk to my husband,” he says to the other man. “He looks like he’s about to pass out.”

The assistant merely nods and gives him a small bow. His gaze follows Kyungsoo as he leaves the room, but not before throwing the prince a mysterious smile.

_Does he know too?_ Chanyeol thinks he might lose his mind.

“Please sit down, your highness,” his husband says and leads him to the luxurious couch.

He settles onto it with a huff. Baekhyun sits beside him so they are face-to-face. His husband has a gentle smile on his face and was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

Unfortunately for Chanyeol, his eloquence seemed to have left with Kyungsoo. He sputters unintelligibly and eventually just lets out a withdrawn sigh.

“So, my present? You’ve found out what kind of flower it is?” Baekhyun says, taking pity on him.

The prince takes a deep breath. “Y-yes.”

“And?”

“His majesty told me they are Jonquil flowers?” he inquires, still unsure.

“That is correct,” his husband answers, his face giving nothing away. Yet.

“I looked up what it meant.”

Instantly, Baekhyun’s expression turns smug. His eyes sparkled with hidden mischief that had Chanyeol balking.

_What?_

“So, you did your research. What are you going to do about it?”

“Baekhyun…” he whines.

“Chanyeol…” his husband mimics playfully.

“The jonquil can symbolize many different things including sentiments that include ‘love me’, affection returned, desire, and a desire for affection returned,” Chanyeol recites, not missing a single beat. He had, after all, read this particular line a dozen times.

“There you have it. Good work,” Baekhyun says, chuckling.

“Baek— I— Are you telling me what I think you’re telling me?”

The other man’s grin widens. “I don’t know. What do you think I’m trying to tell you?”

Chanyeol decides to jump. “You love me. You love me, too.”

“I do,” was the instantaneous reply he got. Blunt, decisive, not a trace of uncertainty.

“I— I’m— You mean I had your answer all this _time_?”

Baekhyun shrugs. “I figured a few more months of grovelling won’t hurt. Besides I enjoyed the—“

The crown prince finally decides they had talked enough. He grabs his husband’s face between his hands and shuts him up with a kiss. It was quick, but firm and more of an “in-the-moment” act rather than a romantic one.

“I-I’m sorry— I—“ he says as soon as he realises what he’s done.

The prince consort merely smiles. “You don’t have to apologise for kissing me, you know.”

Chanyeol squeals inwardly, and says with renewed confidence. “Can I do it again, then?”

“You don’t have to ask for permission either,” Baekhyun answers, voice coming down an octave lower.

Chanyeol reaches out and runs his knuckles against the smooth skin of his husband’s face.

“You’ve suddenly become so cheeky,” he replies, not knowing how to handle this new Baekhyun.

The smaller man scoots closer until their knees were bumping and rests one of his hands on Chanyeol’s chest.

“I was holding myself back for years. You _owe_ me this. I _deserve_ this.”

He does. Chanyeol does, too. Heaven knows how long he’s dreamt for this to happen.

“I love you,” he whispers and leans in to kiss Baekhyun again - properly this time.

Baekhyun’s lips were as soft as he remembers. The kiss they shared on their anniversary was quick— barely even a peck, but he had the plushness ingrained into his memory. 

He could kiss Baekhyun forever, he thinks, as their lips move in sync. It was sweet, gentle and bordering innocent - just like how first kisses should be. His hand had moved to hold Baekhyun’s chin in place with his thumb caressing his cheek. His husband had grabbed a fistful off his shirt, anchoring Chanyeol to him.

Chanyeol rested his forehead against Baekhyun’s when they finally parted, still trying to keep his husband as close as he possibly can. He kept his eyes closed, scared that this was all a dream he would wake up from when he opens them.

“Chanyeol?”

He smiles. Maybe this wasn’t a dream, after all.

“Hmm?”

“Look at me?”

He pulls back a little and complies. His eyes were met with a smiling Baekhyun, looking so ethereal, so perfect, he couldn’t help but place another kiss on his lips once, then another, and another.

Baekhyun giggles.

“Damn, I love you,” he says so suddenly, it brings a lovely pink to his husband’s cheeks.

“You’re such a sap.”

He pouts, faking offence. Baekhyun laughs again, a wonderful, melodious sound.

“You big baby,” his husband teases and pinches his nose. “You’re lucky I love you.”

Chanyeol beams. He was certain his lips would tear from how wide he was smiling. “Say that again.”

Baekhyun turns serious and meets his eyes, gaze full of adoration and candor. “I love you. I really, really do.”

His chest swells and he feels his eyes sting.

“Are you crying?” the prince consort asks, eyes wide with alarm.

“No,” he answers. “Something in my eye.”

Baekhyun threw him a disbelieving look, but before his husband can retort, he pulls him in for another kiss that left them both breathless.

 

 

On a night during the last month of spring, the crown prince and his consort find themselves running late to a family dinner hosted none other the queen herself. They both were given enough time to get ready, but got _sidetracked_ doing _other_ things.

“I told you we’d be late! This is going to be so embarrassing! What would your mother say?” Baekhyun hisses at Chanyeol as they make their way through the corridors with hastened steps.

“It was your fault for looking so… edible,” he answers for lack of a better word.

His husband stops walking and turns to him with both hands on his hips. “Your _highness_ , I am not some kind of food.”

The crown prince smirks and pulls the other man closer by the waist. “On the contrary, my love, you are absolutely _delectable_. You taste better than any—“

A hand covers his mouth and interrupts him mid-speech. His husband was now blushing furiously, the redness of his face undisguised even by the darkness of the night.

“Chanyeol!” he says, totally scandalised. His head whips from side to side, looking for possible eavesdroppers. Luckily, this wing of the palace was still private to them, so his husband’s worries were misplaced.

The prince simply kisses the palm covering his hand and winks. Baekhyun rolls his eyes and removes his hand, but not before Chanyeol captures it with is own.

His voice and gaze turn thoughtful as he asks, “How are you feeling?”

Baekhyun’s expression softens as well. “I’m fine, Chanyeol.”

He smiles and places a kiss on his husband’s wrist. He doesn’t let go of his hand as they make the rest of the way to the dining hall.

As expected, they were late. His mother and father were already seated when they arrived. He wasn’t scolded, he was too old for that. The piercing gaze his mother threw him, however, still had him cowering just the same.

His husband was bowing and apologising profusely, but was let off with a dismissing wave and a doting smile. It was clear who the favourite was between the two of them. But then again, everyone knew who the culprit for their tardiness is. Chanyeol doesn’t mind one bit.

There was small talk in between the appetizers. It pleased him to see Baekhyun all smiles and giggles as he conversed with his parents. He even overheard the king telling his husband to go on a hiking trip with him when the weather turns warmer. Baekhyun replies with a non-committal, but patronising answer. Chanyeol smiles secretly at this.

The prince consort’s expression however, turned sour when the entrees were served. It was a chicken dish with cucumber salad on the side. His husband looked a little bit green, and he was about to address this when his mother spoke up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Baekhyunnie. I forgot you didn’t like cucumbers. I’ll ask them to clear that out for you.”

“It’s alright your majesty,” Baekhyun replies with a reassuring smile, immediately soothing the queen’s worries.

Chanyeol - his husband being the center of his universe - doesn’t miss the longing look Baekhyun sends his plate as it was taken away and replaced by a cucumber-free one.

He wanted to make the announcement right there and then, as the heartbroken expression on Baekhyun’s face was too much for him to handle. But his husband had made him promise to keep it between them for now - just until it was confirmed.

All he could do was nudge his husband - who was sitting across him, with his foot to get his attention. When Baekhyun met his eyes, he sent his unspoken question. The prince consort replied with a tight smile of his own. He translated this as: ‘I’ll be okay. Calm down.’

He quietly nods and carries on with dinner, but eyes still trained on his husband from time-to-time.

‘Any minute now,’ he thinks to himself and tries not to get too anxious.

“So...” the queen says breaking the silence and making them all turn their attention on her. “You two, have been married for more then two years now...”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol nod in unison, brows furrowed in confusion. Where was this going?

“I think it’s time we formally proceed with the consummation ceremony.”

The consummation was tradition. It was rarely practiced, given the fact that married royals would usually produce an heir within the first year of marriage. But he and Baekhyun weren’t most royals, and their relationship didn’t exactly start out ordinarily. He couldn’t blame his mother for coming up with this idea. An heir was nevertheless expected.

Still, this does not keep Chanyeol from dropping his fork and Baekhyun from choking on his chicken.

What impeccable timing his mother had.

Baekhyun, still coughing and sputtering, reaches for the beverage nearest to him - a glass of red wine. Luckily, Chanyeol was faster. He was out of his seat and on his husband’s side. He replaces the wine glass on the prince consort’s hand with a glass of water instead.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen at the the almost-slip, but takes big gulps of water as Chanyeol smooths a gentle hand on his back.

“Okay?” he asks when his husband finishes the glass. Baekhyun nods in reply. Chanyeol could tell he was trying to stay calm, but his eyes were panicked and asking him for help.

He takes a deep breath and turns to the female monarch. “Mother there’s something—“

A knock interrupts them and Junmyeon comes rushing in with an envelope in hand.

“Forgive me for the intrusion, your majesties. But I was told this was an urgent matter for the prince consort,” Junmyeon says, eyes on Baekhyun.

Chanyeol feels himself go rigid, but registers his husband rising from his chair and walking over to his assistant. He hears the king and queen ask him what the matter was about, but he couldn’t formulate a reply, brain too busy with incoherent thoughts to do so.

“Chanyeol, would you come here please,” he hears Baekhyun call for him.

He walks to his husband’s side with tentative steps, not knowing what to expect when he got there, but hopeful nonetheless. He draws Baekhyun close to his side when he finally reaches him and drops a kiss on his temple.

“Look,” the prince consort almost whispers, voice laced with so much emotion.

Chanyeol was handed the envelope with shaking hands. Inside it was a card embedded with golden linings and his family crest. He recognised the handwriting as one from the royal physician. It was however, the single word written there that had his breath catching and tears filling his eyes.

‘Congratulations!’

He turns to Baekhyun, eyes full of wonder and awe. “You’re—?”

“Yes! Doctor Zhang confirmed it. We’re finally sure!”

Chanyeol lets out an exclamation of delight. He pulls Baekhyun in for a hug and smothers his face with little kisses. His husband giggles through it, too elated to care that they had an audience.

“What is going on?” the king’s voice cuts through their celebration, reminding them that they were not alone in the room.

The crown prince clears his throat and faces the monarchs, keeping his husband on his side with an arm wound around his waist.

“Mother, we will not be needing that consummation ceremony,” he says, face smug. “Father, Baekhyun can’t go on that hiking trip with you, unfortunately.”

“Baekhyunnie, are you ill?” his mother asks, her voice laced with worry.

Chanyeol shakes his head as his other hand reaches across Baekhyun’s still-flat tummy and gives it a gentle pat. “Precious cargo.”

It took a while for the rest of the party to understand what he meant, but soon enough, cheers of jubilation filled the room. Baekhyun was pulled in for hugs and kisses. His mother had tears in her eyes and Chanyeol swore his father secretly wiped a few of his own away.

His husband takes it all in, enjoying all the attention he was given. He was glowing with so much bliss and contentment, Chanyeol found it hard to look away.

Baekhyun was back in his arms after a while, his mother hurrying over to the kitchens to get some more wine out. Suddenly, the dining hall was filled with people, with his father bellowing the news on top of his lungs to anyone who could hear. Even Kyungsoo had joined their company - turns out he was with Junmyeon all this time, and had already offered Baekhyun his well-wishes.

The crown prince holds his husband close, lips resting on the crown of his head.

“I love you,” he says against his hair. “Thank you for this gift.”

“I love you, too,” Baekhyun replies, voice muffled in Chanyeol’s shirt. “But can I get that cucumber salad back now, please? I was trying really hard not to cry when they took it away.”

Chanyeol chuckles. It was in fact, the chicken that made Baekhyun queasy earlier. He could never stand the smell these days, his husband told him. That, and all the other weird cravings, including the continuous throwing up in the morning for the past week were what contributed to their suspicions. It was inevitable, really. After that overdue confession, they _couldn’t_ keep their hands off each other.

“Anything you want, love. You can have absolutely _anything_ you want.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let’s be friends! I’m @neezwritesexo on Twitter :)


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